Why You Can’t Catch a Rocket to Mars: Some Personal Reflections on Science and Society, by Lyndon N. Smith

"Highly engaging – a real page-turner that you won’t want to put down.
A fascinating and enjoyable read that is wonderfully well illustrated by the author throughout. If you have ever wondered which are the seminal scientific discoveries and technological developments that have most shaped our modern world or pondered as to who the leading characters were, then this book is most definitely for you. The author takes the reader on a charming personal journey through his take on key historical moments in philosophy, politics, science, and technology, all the while exploring an intriguing interplay with literature, television, and film that goes to the heart of twentieth century western culture. The discussion is underpinned by a solid understanding of the subjects and disciplines touched upon that both seeks to inform and entertain. Areas such as computer vision and artificial intelligence (AI), what they are, how they have developed and where they might lead us, are covered in a way that demystifies what could otherwise be dry and impenetrable subjects and opens the mind to the exciting possibilities that may lie ahead for humankind. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and highly recommend it."
Reviewed on 10 December 2022
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"The author of these engaging personal reflections on science and society is a university professor, an aficionado of Sherlock Holmes, and an accomplished draughtsman, as is evident from the many drawings in the book. He makes well-informed speculations as a technological optimist on future potential developments and their likely timing (pp. 134, 270), including ‘immortality’ in terms of cryonics, about which he is sceptical, along with uploading consciousness into a computer. Other topics covered include transport, robotics, time travel and nanotechnology. His view on the future is bright in a realist sense rather than dystopian, but much will depend on how we manage to organise ourselves collectively. The book will be of most interest to readers looking for a thorough briefing on the likely trajectory of science and technology."
- David Lorimer in Paradigm Explorer: Journal of the Scientific and Medical Network

“An utterly fascinating book, written in a wonderfully engaging and informal conversational style. Lyndon's book is written in a wonderfully informal style, you can almost hear him chatting to you as you read, he goes off on meaningful tangents, covering an incredibly wide field of topics and explaining both simple and difficult concepts in an easy to understand way. He left me questioning the state of modern science, the way it is funded and taught, the attitudes of teachers and the goals of society. As he deals with a wonderfully broad range of topics Lyndon often anticipates the questions that arose in my mind, and I left each section with new insights and challenging thoughts. I really enjoyed the way in which Lyndon uses the sci-fi of my youth (Star Trek and Gerry Anderson's wonderful creations) together with our English detective hero - Sherlock Holmes - to cement his ideas and observations. He's done this in a book which is almost exclusively full of his own superb drawings, paintings and photography, adding to the conversational, informal nature of the work. I came away from this book thinking just how much I would enjoy a conversation with Lyndon over a glass of beer or two. The book is really accessible, never pompous and Lyndon shares his personal views in a very kind and generous manner. I thoroughly recommend it.”
- Simon Parnall